The SpaceX Dragon capsule is almost ready to become the first private spacecraft to visit the International Space Station (ISS), NASA and SpaceX officials announced today.

Following
what's known as a flight-readiness review, Space Exploration
Technologies Corporation, aka SpaceX, is so far on course to launch the
reusable Dragon aboard the firm's Falcon 9 rocket later this month, NASA said at a Monday press briefing.

But SpaceX founder Elon Musk already has his eyes on a bigger prize: putting people on Mars as quickly as possible.

According to Musk, all SpaceX ventures—including the Dragon mission—are being designed to advance this ambitious larger goal.